Due to the announcement of the introduction of an EU law for reducing injuries to a pedestrian in a collision between a pedestrian and a vehicle, new vehicles must be constructed in such a way that the injuries to the pedestrian in a collision remain within the limits required in this EU law.
A first strategy for reducing injuries to pedestrians is aimed at creating a crumple zone for the pedestrian by making changes to the bumper and the design of the vehicle, to thereby reduce the risk of injury using a passive solution.
A second strategy attempts to detect the impact of a pedestrian using a suitable sensor system, and to create the necessary crumple zone by the subsequent active triggering of a pedestrian protection device such as exterior airbags on the A-pillars and/or by raising the engine hood. In the active solution, widely differing sensor principles of acceleration sensors, pressure sensors, knock sensors, piezoelectric to optical sensors, etc., may be used.